Food

Following table is a running score of food produced at pointReturn.
2011:
Notes:
1- No crop had ever been grown with any commitment on these lands. There are vague references by shepherds to casually broadcast millets. The land had been a trespassed access between the villages of Peruveli and Annanagar, and was openly grazed. Annual runoff had created a hard pan and it was further compacted in parts by way of vehicle treads. No water had any chance of residence to support food growing. It is such a land we began with.
2- Between 2007 and 09, working mostly alone I focused on developing access, water security, fences and basic facilities. I had earmarked about 0.1 acres, in two parcels, for grain growing and made one attempt at it in 2008, with a modest result.
3- When Karpagam, Sriram and Siddarth joined the project in 2010, focus turned fully on food growing. We have managed to turn the 0.10 acres, designated A2 and A3, reasonably fertile by addition of biomass, tank silt and rotted manure. We have developed A4, measuring 0.05acres. [By the way,A1 is the tank bed of Chinnakulam, an area of 0.04acres, where we have not so far succeeded in growing anything.]
4- So the figures you see above for 2010 and 11 are from a total of 0.15acres, on poor soil, slowly being made fertile, with limited quantity of water and hardly any hired hands.
5- In 2011 a well was dug and about 0.20 acres are being developed for grain crops. In 2012 assured irrigation from the well will likely accelerate food growing.